Real-Time Availability

Real-time availability means a booking system instantly reflects true capacity across every sales channel, so a slot that's sold out on the website is also unavailable through OTAs, the front desk, and the app at the same moment.

Without real-time sync, operators risk overbooking: a slot gets sold twice because two channels weren't updated at the same instant. This gets worse the more channels an operator sells through (direct website, OTAs, phone, walk-up).

Real-time availability requires a central inventory system that every channel checks against before confirming a sale, rather than each channel keeping its own separate count. It's one of the most basic but most important requirements for any operator selling across more than one channel.